After a promising start in the morning session, India faltered in the second as England made crucial inroads to reduce the visitors to 149 for 3 at tea on day one of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. The collapse saw the dismissals of both openers, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by captain Shubman Gill, halting India’s early momentum.

India, trailing 1-2 in the five-match series and in a must-win situation, looked in control in the first session after being asked to bat by England skipper Ben Stokes, who won his fourth consecutive toss. Openers Rahul and Jaiswal put together a solid 96-run stand, navigating the initial spells from Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, and Brydon Carse with discipline and composure.

Rahul, in particular, appeared fluent and reached a personal milestone as he became only the fifth Indian batter to complete 1,000 Test runs in England, joining the elite company of Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli. His 46 was a well-constructed knock, but just as he looked set to push on, Woakes struck, inducing an edge that ended a significant opening partnership.